Knights devise contest to spark vocations

Tawa knight, Ray Harriss, came up with the idea of a writing competition while visiting Bishop Viard College in Porirua.

‘I thought it would be a good thing for our youngsters to do; that it would get them thinking about vocations and the importance of vocations to everybody.’

He said although everyone was aware of the shortage of priests and religious, it was important to actually do something about it.

‘I hope that parents, teachers in our Catholic schools, and our parishioners will encourage our youngsters to enter the competition.

‘Just writing about vocations will make each youngster think about the issues facing our Church and possibly help those youngsters, male or female, to develop their own spirituality.’

The Knights of the Southern Cross has a dual focus of developing each member’s individual spirituality, and supporting the Church and the clergy.

In the Porirua area the Knights organised a series of Hours of Prayer each year and invited speakers on aspects of Peace. Last October’s series included speakers: Sharron Cole, the Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Families Commisssion, Public Trustee, Patrick Waite, a peacekeeper in the Middle East, Warren Dale, and Assumptionist, Fr Paul O’Connor.

Mr Harriss said that he was inspired by those talks and by the important work that members of the Knights and other Catholic men and women did in the parishes in the Porirua area.

He hoped that the young people in Wellington’s colleges would take up the challenge to write about an area which was central to the life of the Church